INDIANAPOLIS – After helping the Redbirds to their first men's Valley title since 1999, Jaylan McConico, Kentre Patterson, and Derrius Rodgers have qualified for the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships, announced the NCAA Tuesday. The meet will take place in College Station, Texas, on March 9-10.
McConico and Patterson punched their tickets to NCAAs during the 60-meter hurdles final at last weekend's MVC Championships. McConico, who was crowned the MVC champion in the event, ran a 7.64, solidifying his spot in the national meet. His mark, which is an ISU school record, UNI Dome record, and MVC Championship meet record, currently ranks third in the country.
Patterson fed off of McConico's energy, being named the MVC runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles with an NCAA-qualifying time of 7.75. With the mark, Patterson is seeded 12th in the nation, and also ranks second all-time in ISU history. This duo of Redbird hurdlers is a large reason why Illinois State's hurdles squad ranks second in the country, according to the USTFCCCA's National Event Squad Rankings.
Rodgers qualified for the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 60-meter dash for the second straight year. A 2017 NCAA Indoor Second-Team All-American, Rodgers ran a 6.60 during the preliminary round of the MVC Championships to secure his spot at NCAAs. His time, which ranks sixth in the nation, is an ISU school record, UNI Dome Record, and MVC Meet Record.
As a result of these outstanding performances, and countless others, at the 2018 MVC Championships, the 'Birds moved up 63 spots this week in the USTFCCCA National rankings to 30th in the country. The 'Birds also closed out the 2018 campaign seeded seventh in the Midwest Region.
McConico, Patterson, and Rodgers will compete on the NCAA's biggest stage on March 9-10 in College Station, Texas.
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